Nobody's home
by frankiestein
Summary: Dissidia 012 actually. Tifa talks to Lightning during one of their breaks. One shot.


Lightning slashes absentmindedly at the boulder, taking little notice of the disintegration of the rock as she sends the broken pieces of debris into the air. The remains of the boulder landed on the ground with a loud thud, with some rolling off the banks and making splashes as they plunge into the water. Not used to having free time and breaks, Lightning has taken to destroying anything at all in sight just to pass the empty pockets of time every now and then when the group stops to take a breather from all the violence.

"You seem to like destroying things," Tifa commented in an amused fashion. She had notice Lightning wandering off on her own to do her little hobby whenever they stopped for rest. Though none of them were physically tired from all the fighting, it was their emotional health that ran a little low from time to time as hordes of unending manikins were set upon them by Chaos' pawns. A break from the bloodshed and the killings, no matter how brief or temporal, is vital for their worn and battered minds. Then there was Lightning, killing the time by employing a little violence that they were keen to run away from.

"Nothing much to do," Lightning answered without turning back to look at Tifa, instead choosing to stare into the distant land.

If Lightning had the sixth sense when it comes to sensing danger before they presented themselves, then Tifa must be the master at detecting the subtle emotions disguised beneath any front or demeanour. It was apparent and _actually obvious_ that the soldier had much more to her than the cold and distant mask that she wore, despite the group's insistence that she wasn't blessed with a thing called emotions. Laguna even joked that she might have been a manikin if not for her icy cold glares whenever he tried to lead the group. Yet, Tifa knew better. Tifa notices every little movement and senses even the most delicate whirling of the heart despite it being buried in the depths of layers of walls. While others warmed up to each other's company as the journey progresses, only Lightning remained distant as a stranger. _Self-imposed confinement_, Tifa noted.

Unable to see Lightning's face, Tifa walked to one of the larger pieces of the disintegrated boulder near the banks and sat on it while trying to follow Lightning's gaze that was lost in a faraway land. It was the exact same thing that they saw; the same landscape of nothingness except the numeral gateways that shone in ominous violet lights. But Lightning's eyes saw much more, given away by the tinge of bittersweet vibes emanating from her very eyes; a hue of blue bathed in a sea of colours that were lost to this gray land.

"What's at the end of a rainbow?" Tifa asked.

"I don't know."

"Have you seen a rainbow before, from where you were?"

"Can't remember."

"Well I have. It's a wonder," Tifa replied, while losing herself in the memories of the past, where she had watched the rainbow with a certain blonde soldier. Somehow, Lightning had reminded her of him very much. They were both soldiers, armed with the qualities of a leader shining through whenever situations demand it. Both quiet and reserved. Both stubborn and obstinate. Both broken in their own ways and desperately tucking it away from naked eyes.

"Do you remember your home?" Tifa probed when Lightning hadn't continue their conversation.

"I don't remember a thing at all." Lightning replied, not bothering to hide the disappointment in her tone away this time. This slight disclosure of feelings greatly surprised Tifa as the soldier had never so much as revealed a single thing about herself, so cautious whenever anyone tries to come near. It surprises her even more as Lightning continues on.

"I don't know when this will end. I don't know if we can go home. I don't know where home is. It's just such a shame to not know if you even had a home or someone to return to."

Catching Tifa completely unaware, she had directed her gaze at her, something she had never done in the course of the journey; she had never really talked to someone and acknowledged their presence by looking at them. She hadn't even really looked at anyone. But there was something about Tifa that makes you comfortable; something that makes you put your trust in her, despite not having done it before; to trust someone with your feelings and know that they won't tamper with it.

Tifa shuddered at the strangeness of the situation: to talk to the soldier that had never said a thing beyond her name and to be acknowledged and talked to by the exact same distant soldier. Most of all, Tifa shuddered at the intensity of Lightning's gaze. Those eyes spoke of confusion and doubts that were left unaddressed, begging for answers but rejected time after time. _Of disappointment._

"Maybe you'll remember someday some time along the way?" Tifa struggled with answer after a long time. Though it sounded like a silly answer to a complex situation, it was really all that Tifa could come up with. It was innocent and perhaps even naïve, but that was all that she had wished for the soldier.

"What if I don't? What if we all perish before I recall anything at all?" The soldier retorted wistfully, kicking away a stone near her foot and watched it plop into the waters, creating ripples that spread out wide and far slowly. It had bothered her that they're nothing but sacrificial lambs in the greater picture. For the greater good in the next cycle as they had called it, fighting in war that meant losing in this time, only winning in the future. A future that they won't get to see. It had bothered her to see all of her comrades recalling their pasts one by one and finally finding a reason to fight for in this unending conflict with those from the land of discord. Mostly, it had bothered her to die without a single memory of having lived.

"At least we all die together yea? That's all that it matters isn't it? Never alone?" Tifa smiled at her, giving off a vibe that crossed between motherly and the unwavering loyalty of a fellow comrade.

"I don't know if we can ever go home and blind optimism isn't the way to go all the time. But I'm just really glad to have met all of you. I would be honoured to fade away with all of you if perishing is the only answer to this conflict." Tifa continued.

"What's it like?" Lightning asks.

"Hmm?"

"Remembering your past and yet aware that you may never see them again?"

"It hurts. But they're constantly on my mind, it's like they've never left, so there is no parting only because we've never parted. Somewhere out there, I know they think the same of me as well and suddenly it doesn't hurt anymore. We're connected in the hearts, the heart strings never break." Tifa answered thoughtfully, at the same time tucking away a lock of stray hair that fallen across her face behind her ear.

"Light?"

"Hmm?"

"It doesn't really matter if you don't recall a thing. Memories can be created and you can start now."

"What if we really get to go home in the end? How does one go back to a place that is forgotten?" Lightning mumbled, clearly still very affected by the lack of memories.

"Like I said, you can start creating memories now. You don't have to go home to anywhere in particular." Tifa replied optimistically, while jumping to her feet and started to cross the translucent bridge to the other bank of the river. Seeing that Lightning wasn't following, Tifa stopped in the middle of the bridge and added:

"If we get to go home and if you still haven't found your memories by then?"

Lightning looked at her quizzically.

"You can come home with me." Tifa replied sincerely, while extending a hand towards Lightning.


End file.
